How would you do them?

Any products already tackle this?

Elves = cat people, Dwarves = mole people, Gnomes = Possum people, Halfings = dog people (terriers anyway).

I don't see any need for race rules for this.

Just pick an animal that matches your ability scores.

Mutant Future does, although only for mutant animals. So it kind of works.

Quote from: Planet Algol;626572I don't see any need for race rules for this.

Just pick an animal that matches your ability scores.

I suppose that works but lets assume I wanted animal people races

Wolfen in Palladium would be more popular now than they were even during the original release era of the game.

Hulks and Horrors has bearmen.

Here are my rules for animal characters. ACTUAL or anthropomorphic. Natural or transformed by a curse.

• 1st level animals have 1 HD. Even big animals; they start small/young and grow into full strength.
• Normal stats (for my games, 3d6 in order.) No gold for actual ANIMAL animals.
• Understand Common, plus appropriate beast language if born/raised as an actual animal. Speak common if a parrot or other vocal mimic. Otherwise, learn to speak Common as a separate "language".
• Use tools if they have human-like hands/paws. Otherwise, use mouth, trunk, or prehensile tail, clumsily.
• Dex 16+: like Max the Horse in Tangled (able to stab the thief with a dagger wielded in his mouth.)
• Dex 18: 1/3 chance of opposable thumbs like Grommit. 1/3 chance able to walk upright for as long as desired, allowing them to pass for human (with the right costume...)
• Class = Fighter (or Thief, where appropriate.) Animals that can speak Common can't start as spell-caster, but can switch classes if Int/Wis = 16+.

Edit: Oops, forgot to add non-domestic intelligent or anthropomorphic animals would probably be limited to a max reaction of Neutral from common NPCs, with a default reaction of Hostile for predators/dangerous animals.

Quote from: Kuroth;626591Wolfen in Palladium would be more popular now than they were even during the original release era of the game.

Wolfen, Coyles, Kankoran, Bearmen...


I just had a thought... What if Drizzt was a Wolfen? As in, what if KS worked for TSR back in the day and they released books about this noble Wolfen dude who had to fight against the hatred humanity, elves, dwarves, etc had for his species?

Probably be better than stories about a damn elf.

There was a module I had when I started playing in the early '90s called Rage of the Rakasta that detailed out a playable (in Rules Cyclopedia terms) race of tiger-men called the Rakasta. It only detailed out levels 1-5, which was the same as the level range of the starter boxed set at the time, and basically they were like fighters with better saves who got a claw/claw attack that at level 2 becomes claw/claw/bite.

I'm using Mentzer Basic for my New Model Colony game, so race=class, and I'm reusing Elf/Dwarf/Halfling for a more Sword-and-Sorcery campaign.

What I'm going to do is establish three different civilizations, in varying states of decline, for the PCs to discover.  If they can find them, and then establish relations with them, then that class becomes available for future PCs.  These ties must be maintained, or access gets cut off.

Once made, there is an additional level to work towards and that is eliminating the strict race=class line.  If done, the class becomes open to other races to take up; I'm setting this up beforehand by establishing each class as a specific profession or organization within the alien civilization.  The Elf class is a martial arts school, working on the Bladesinger idea of old.  The Dwarf class is a ranger sort, with specific training in specialized lores to go along with their martial practices.  The Halfling class is a scout/messenger group, with occasional uses as skirmishers or assassins, meant to keep the ties of kinship across disparate (and hidden) settlements together.  This lets NPCs of these alien races not be one-notes, gives players something else to work towards, and provides ways for the alien civilizations to integrate into Colonial life.

Now, as there are no Elves, Dwarves or Halflings, the aliens races will have to be something that fulfills the same essential roles without being Not-(Foo) copies.  Weird is fine, and I'm going towards that direction, so long as no one would mistake them for High Fantasy tropes.  For now, I'm entertaining the following:

• Elf: The Pleadians of UFO lore, with a few changes.  First, copper-based blood.  Second, obviously not-Mannish skin and hair coloring (with cues taken from Leijiverse space operas).
• Dwarf: If not a construct-based race, then an uplifted badger.
• Halfling: Some sort of uplifted Mousefolk.  Not rats, mice.

I am open to suggestions.

Quote from: talysman;626593Here are my rules for animal characters. ACTUAL or anthropomorphic. Natural or transformed by a curse.

• 1st level animals have 1 HD. Even big animals; they start small/young and grow into full strength.
• Normal stats (for my games, 3d6 in order.) No gold for actual ANIMAL animals.
• Understand Common, plus appropriate beast language if born/raised as an actual animal. Speak common if a parrot or other vocal mimic. Otherwise, learn to speak Common as a separate "language".
• Use tools if they have human-like hands/paws. Otherwise, use mouth, trunk, or prehensile tail, clumsily.
• Dex 16+: like Max the Horse in Tangled (able to stab the thief with a dagger wielded in his mouth.)
• Dex 18: 1/3 chance of opposable thumbs like Grommit. 1/3 chance able to walk upright for as long as desired, allowing them to pass for human (with the right costume...)
• Class = Fighter (or Thief, where appropriate.) Animals that can speak Common can't start as spell-caster, but can switch classes if Int/Wis = 16+.

Edit: Oops, forgot to add non-domestic intelligent or anthropomorphic animals would probably be limited to a max reaction of Neutral from common NPCs, with a default reaction of Hostile for predators/dangerous animals.

Talysman, you're a useful bastard, you know that?
Extra points for Tangled reference.

Quote from: LibraryLass;626609Talysman, you're a useful bastard, you know that?
Extra points for Tangled reference.

Thanks! I actually did most of that as my blog entry for a blog carnival about animals awhile back.

Quote from: talysman;626623Thanks! I actually did most of that as my blog entry for a blog carnival about animals awhile back.

Oh yeah, I think I remember seeing it.

In Arrows of Indra the Vanara are monkey-men, and a PC race.

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